Oral surgeons are consistently the highest earning dental specialists while periodontists are the lowest earning dental specialists, according to the ADA Health Policy Institute.

In a research brief http://www.ada.org/~/media/ADA/Science%20and%20Research/HPI/Files/HPIBrief_0217_1.pdf?la=en posted Feb. 16, the institute analyzed the market trends of five dental specialists: oral surgeons, endodontists, orthodontists, periodontists and pediatric dentists. Other specialties were not included in the study due to lack of adequate data, HPI said.

In its analysis, HPI looked at the average annual net income by specialty and found that oral surgeons were the highest earning specialists from 2000–15 followed by endodontists. It also found that from 2000–15, oral surgeons' earnings were highest in 2008 at $568,968 and lowest in 2010 at $399,171. By contrast, the other specialties had their highest earnings in the "years before the Great Recession" and their lowest earnings from 2011–15.

The brief also found:

• Out of five types of dental specialists (oral surgeons, endodontists, orthodontists, periodontists, and pediatric dentists), oral surgeons are consistently the highest earning dental specialists while periodontists are the lowest earning dental specialists.
• Among the five specialist types studied in this brief, orthodontists have the lowest selfreported busyness levels while oral surgeons have the highest self–reported busyness levels.
• Among the five specialist types studied in this brief, a greater percentage of pediatric dentists work in dental service organization (DSO) affiliated practices while a lower percentage of periodontists work in DSO affiliated practices.